Most of the medical alert systems we tested did their job well. So although our picks are the best choices for home-based and mobile medical alert systems, we recognize that they may not work equally well for everyone. Here are some others we liked:
If you want an alternative home-based medical alert system: The ADT Medical Alert Plus has an easy plug-in setup, with no landline or installation required. The pendants have a 600-foot range from the base unit, and its backup battery lasts up to 30 hours after a power outage. It’s best for those who want a home system that they can attach to the wall in a central location, while wearing a corresponding pendant or wristband that’s paired with the base unit. The device can also monitor the room’s temperature, and for an extra fee, you can add fall detection. However, we found that the device connected more slowly to a live operator than others we tested; my longest wait time was two minutes.
If you’re looking for a medical alert system you can use outside but don’t want a smartwatch: Try ADT’s On-The-Go, Bay Alarm Medical’s SOS All-in-One, or Medical Guardian’s Mini Guardian.
ADT’s mobile option, the ADT On-The-Go, is a small, mobile device that you can use at home or outside. Like the home-based systems, the mobile base unit pairs with either a neck pendant or wristband, and you can add fall detection for an additional monthly fee. But I found that its GPS capabilities were hit-and-miss when I was outside.
The Bay Alarm Medical SOS All-In-One is a small, no-frills, GPS-enabled mobile device that offers access to emergency help with a long-lasting battery life of 72 hours. The system comes with an app for caregivers, which allows them to monitor the wearer’s location and if the device’s battery is running low. (We recommend always getting the consent of the person wearing the device before setting up any kind of location tracking or monitoring, if possible.) Although Bay Alarm Medical’s GPS capabilities usually came close to my current location, they weren’t entirely accurate when I was out and about. We like that the company offers attractive pendant covers to conceal the device, but the additional $25 charge is hefty.
If you want a thin, sleek medical alert device, consider the Medical Guardian Mini Guardian. I found that it could pinpoint my location accurately, and its five-day battery life impressed us. We like that it comes in black, white, and silver, and it has optional add-ons, including a waterproof wall-mount button and a fall-detection pendant. It’s one of the thinnest and most compact devices.
If you have an iPhone and don’t need live operators on standby: The Apple Watch Series 8 isn’t a medical alert system per se, since it doesn’t have dedicated agents standing by, but it does allow you to easily call emergency services via voice command (“Hey Siri, call 911”). You can use an Apple Watch only if you have an iPhone to pair it with (though that phone can belong to a member of your family or household). The up-front cost is high for a cellular-enabled watch at about $500, but monthly plans typically cost only around $10 a month (excluding the cost of an iPhone and its monthly cellular service). The watch has a wide array of robust health-data collection capabilities, including wrist temperature, blood-oxygen levels, heart rate, sleep monitoring, respiratory rate, arrhythmia detection, and ECG features. GPS capabilities are standard on every Apple device. Older people and those with hand-dexterity issues may have some trouble working the too-small button knobs on the side of the watch, but you can get around that by using voice-activated commands via Siri. Fall detection, although not 100% reliable, is included with the watch and is automatically enabled if you’re over the age of 55.
If you’re looking for a smartwatch-like medical device: Consider the Medical Guardian MGMove and the LifeStation Sidekick Smart.
The Medical Guardian MGMove is an attractively designed, water-resistant smartwatch, and it doesn’t look like a medical device. It offers many features, including time, weather, and step tracking; for an additional monthly fee, it offers medication and appointment reminders and a messenger app to communicate with caregivers or emergency contacts. But the device’s main purpose is to make it simple to get emergency help. It’s easy to use and charge, and its GPS is very accurate.
The LifeStation Sidekick Smart is a great mobile choice if you want convenience and affordability. The display is large and easy to read. The device has one of the fastest automated response times, after which it connects you to a live operator in less than two minutes. The sound quality is clear, and it has a sensitive microphone for speaking voice-activation commands and communicating with live operators. But when it came to LifeStation’s GPS capabilities, we were less impressed. Sometimes when I called, the operator would automatically assume that I was at my home location, even if I was out and about, and they were not always able to tell me my current location.
link